Like most readers who peruse the pages of glossy travel magazines, I’ve always thought the Maldives looked gorgeous. Aquamarine water lapping against coconut tree-lined beaches is, after all, quintessential holiday imagery — but the real magic of this island nation lies below its surface.
The Maldives is home to the seventh-largest coral reef system in the world, with over 250 species of stony coral comprising more than 2,000 distinct reefs. These keystone ecosystems shelter and nourish thousands of species of fish and other marine life, making the Maldives an utter paradise for snorkelling and diving.
I, however, can barely swim. My go-to move is a frenetic dog paddle that leaves me exhausted within minutes, and because I’ve never quite figured out how to tread water, I’m uncomfortable if the depth exceeds my ability to touch the bottom with my head above the surface. Exploring the watery Maldivian underworld would be off the table for me, but I wanted to learn what this remote country of 1,192 islands might have to offer those of us who prefer to stay on dry land.
With well over 150 resorts to choose from — most of them encompassing the entire islands on which they’re built — deciding where to go in the Maldives can be almost as much of a project as actually travelling there. I decided to start with an original.
Baros opened in 1973 as the third resort in the Maldives. It’s still locally owned today and the island had long been in use as a coconut plantation before it was redeveloped for tourism. Though land reclamation efforts are increasingly prevalent in the Maldives, Baros is a wholly natural island which I found environmentally encouraging. Baros is also reachable from the Malé airport in just 25 minutes by speedboat — an enticing proposition following my 20-something hours of travel from Germany.
Culture
I had arrived early enough that I was able to settle into my overwater villa — including hanging my transit-rumpled clothing and admiring the private infinity pool in which I would later sunburn myself (despite packing three types of sunblock) – and still make it to breakfast before service ended. Tucking into a Maldivian breakfast of tuna curry and mashuni, a traditional dish of finely chopped tuna and grated coconut served with fresh chapati, I suspected that the strongest link I would find to local culture during my time here would be through food. There’s no going off-property to wander through neighbouring villages when the entire island is the resort, and a large percentage of the staff at many properties — 50 per cent in the case of Baros — is not of Maldivian heritage.
This is no one’s fault, really. Tourism is the greatest driver of the Maldives economy. There were nearly 1.9 million visitors in 2023 — consider the country’s population of roughly half-million (of which approximately 26 per cent comes from abroad), along with the unique isolation of each island, and it feels nearly impossible as a visitor to define a sense of place beyond beautiful water and luxurious accommodations.
In an effort to learn more, I made my way to the Baros Maldivian Lounge, a small museum put together some years ago in response to guest curiosity about local traditions. Historic maps hang on the walls and artefacts, like lacquered wooden containers and metal tools used to break into areca nuts and coconuts, are displayed on shelves. Information is limited but it’s easy enough to imagine these items in use — especially the Boduberu, a tall drum used to play traditional music, thought to be introduced to the Maldives by sailors from Africa in the 11th century.
Later, aboard Nooma, a traditional dhoni boat made of camphor wood, I bobbed atop the water just off the shore of Baros. Cloud cover meant that a picturesque sunset never quite materialised, but I appreciated the link to Maldivian history as I scooted out of the way for the sails to be hoisted whilst enjoying the palm-laden views of the island.
Cuisine
The two most prevalent ingredients in the Maldives are coconut and tuna. This suited me just fine — fresh seafood and the Maldives’ history along the old spice trade routes were what had me most excited to visit. Tuna was an option at every meal and I made the most of those opportunities, but one of my favourites of the trip was a lobster curry at Lime Restaurant on Baros. Perfectly tender pieces of lobster in a warmly spiced coconut curry, delivering just the right amount of heat from fresh Maldivian chilies – a dish I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
A few days later, I’d signed up for a cooking demonstration at Milaidhoo — my second resort in the Maldives — and was excited to watch Chef Saajidh prepare a lobster curry. “I like to go night snorkelling for these,” he said with a grin, holding up a lobster tail before dicing the meat to add to the simmering curry. The 34-year-old runs Ba’theli, Milaidhoo’s signature restaurant that is said to be the only on-water fine dining restaurant serving Maldivian food prepared by Maldivian chefs.
“I’m from Kendhoo,” Saajidh told me, pointing over my shoulder at an island visible in the distance. He’s been cooking for 16 years and Milaidhoo is his 11th and — so far, eight months in — favourite resort he has worked at in the Maldives. “It’s quieter here than at other properties; more peaceful. And more eco-friendly,” he adds, noting the resort’s lack of plastic use and holding up a pandan leaf harvested from Milaidhoo’s own garden.
Fortunately, it’s not uncommon for Maldivian resorts to have gardens. Baros has a lavish one, growing everything from ginger and passionfruit to aloe vera, rocket, rose apple, mango and a wide array of herbs, while hydroponic towers cultivate a variety of lettuces. Resorts must also manage their own sewer treatment systems and many operate desalination equipment — composting leftover food as garden fertiliser and using greywater for nourishing landscaping just makes sense in an environment where a supply ship comes only once a week. Not all resorts, however, have done away with single-use plastics, and despite the sunny locale, solar power is not yet as prevalent as I would have expected.
LUX* South Ari Atoll leads the way here, with one of the world’s largest over-water solar panel setups. A floating array of solar panels, along with panels mounted on the resort’s rooftops, generate up to 30 per cent of the power necessary for the resort’s 193 villas. Guests can even track the daily production and use of solar energy during their stay. What’s more, since the LUX* property sits on a two kilometre-long island, it uses green energy-powered cruisers to ferry guests around, saving an estimated 260,000 litres of fuel annually. Every bit counts in an ecosystem like the Maldives, where countless litres of fuel are burned each day operating tourism boats and seaplanes.
Back at my cooking demo, I savoured bites of lobster curry as Saajidh asked me if I knew about the traditional way of cooking fish in the Maldives. My mouth full, I shook my head no as he mimed skewering a fish. “We use the stem of a palm leaf,” he said, “then the fish is placed on top of halved coconut shells.” A gentle fire underneath heats the shells, imparting a delicate flavour as the fish cooks. “Very traditional,” Saajidh confirms.
Conservation
At Milaidhoo, I discovered the pleasures of a beach villa. While overwater bungalows no doubt look most enviable in photos, the tradeoff is for ocean access much further from shore. The water is still shallow underneath the overwater villas, but there are corals to navigate and currents to contend with — not ideal for a nervous swimmer. A beachfront suite, complete with private pool and direct access to the shore, offers the best of both worlds. I could wade knee-deep into the bath-warm waters of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that Milaidhoo is fortunate to sit within, then retreat to the safety (and shade) of my 1.5-metre pool for further submersion.
I will confess to mild feelings of FOMO for not going out snorkelling; instead left wondering what it must be like to see the incredible reefs surrounding Milaidhoo — this particular island and its offshore splendours are world class for the underwater competent. But I was fortunate to satisfy much of my coral curiosities one afternoon at the Baros dive centre.
Baros has an in-house coral restoration program that I had the pleasure of learning all about from 37-year-old Maldivian marine biologist, Shuga. She’s one of those outwardly passionate people who can pull anyone into conversation and leave them enthralled. By the time Shuga had taken me through her PowerPoint presentation and explained how all coral in the Maldives is government-protected and that special permits are needed for regeneration work, I was nearly convinced to strap a snorkel mask to my face and dive in. Instead, I joined her to plant a coral cube.
Baros has a thriving coral nursery where corals are supported on floating lines and frames to facilitate safe growth, but the coral cube initiative was developed to help propagate actual reefs. Holes are drilled into cubes of non-toxic concrete where pieces of broken — but otherwise healthy — coral are planted. The concrete does not damage the coral nor deteriorate in the water; it simply provides a firm foundation for healthy reefs to grow. Baros welcomes guests to participate in coral cube planting and there is no charge for the activity; the hope is to encourage people to better understand and want to protect this delicate environment.
Another resort with a compelling conservation program is Makunudu, which has two coral nurseries. Coral is given approximately six months to grow within the nurseries before being replanted on the reef — and guests are welcome to participate. Sea turtles sometimes nest on the island, too, and Makunudu’s marine team collates data to ensure that nests and hatchings remain undisturbed by light pollution or human activity. The resort is also committed to protecting indigenous plants by building around rather than clearing them, effectively putting the vegetation to work as natural shade for island villas, which stay two degrees cooler than those on sandbars or overwater.
I left my week in the Maldives with peeling skin and a satisfied palate. I also took away a renewed appreciation for stepping outside of my travel comfort zone. The Maldives is considerably less my vibe than the safari lodges of southern Africa, but what a gorgeous reminder that it’s always possible to seek the elements I look for in any of my travels — good food, local culture, responsible practices — if only I’m willing to dip a toe in the water.
All image credits: Summer Rylander
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